Maintaining/feeding small fish?

[xxnonamexx]

I have my fish in my 120 fowlr 2 percula clowns, yellow wrasse, arc hawkish, kole tang, blue spot puffer, elibi angel. They are doing excellent. Since they are all approx 1.5" in size I have been feeding flake and frozen brine shrimp since they are small fish. Should I feed them less since they are small and don't eat as much? I just dont want to underfeed or have food sitting in sand wasting away. I just added the fish on Thursday so I don't know when to do a water change w/o messing with the tank chemistry. Thanks.

 

[skene]

right now instead of concerning yourself with how much the fish eat... you should be watching your nitrates and ammonia.
This is a new tank right? You just added all of these fish pretty quickly right?

 

[jcdeng]

young/small fish needs small portion, but multiple feeding through out the day.

 

[xxnonamexx]

Yes I understand the nitrate, ammonia which is ok so far I will test again this evening but if it spikes should I do a 30% water change? Small portions what do you consider small portions? I give a pinch of spirulina flakes (the green lid and purple lid) along with brine shrimp.

 

[MatthewScars]

Pretty simple answer, you feed them slowly and only add more food when they have eaten the previous portion.


For example, i feed Brine Shrimp. I feed one cube a day, so when i feed i feed about 1/8 of the cube at a time. when they eat that 1/8, then i add another 1/8th. This way nothing ever even hits the ground.

Also, remember to strain the frozen food before putting it in.

 

[xxnonamexx]

I don't have it cubed. It's in a sheet I break a little piece crush in my hand and feed. Strain?

 

[JimmyR1rider]

A water change will never hurt your tank. You shouldn't be afraid of doing one at anytime.

 

[MatthewScars]

I don't have it cubed. It's in a sheet I break a little piece crush in my hand and feed. Strain?

http://silverteastraineriworld.info/prod-images/I/4181x-B214L.jpg

Ok, so even if the brine shrimp is frozen in little cow shapes, its the same thing.

You need to get a plastic cup. Put the frozen shrimp in the cup. Put a little tank water in the cup. Wait till the shrimp is thawed and floating around. Then pour it on the strainer (OVER A SINK, the water is waste water). Knock the shrimp back into the cup. Add tank water to the shrimp cup. and then slowly pour it in your tank or use a medicine dropper (the big ones if you want, whatever).

That's how you feed frozen food properly.

 

[rbtwo4]

i do a pinch of food and i watch carefully if none of those flakes reach the bottom u might want to feed a lil more also if they hit the bottom its ok cus that is what ur CUC is for. they clean it up lol if u feel like ur underfeeding then ur not over feeding which is good.

 

[andylee]

You added all these fish at once? Err on the underfeeding side. Have water ready for water change. Even with minimal feeding, if all these fish were added in one day, you will likely spike levels pretty badly.

 

[xxnonamexx]

Cleanupcrew is next since I don't have one due to the trigger eating all the crabs and snails shells included but now hes gone I will get a CUC.

 

[basiab]

When you feed just make sure all is eaten within about 2 minutes. If they eat it all before that amount of time you may be underfeeding. If there is plenty around then you are overfeeding. And as they grow you will need to increase the food. This goes for whether you feed them once or multiple times a day.

 

[xxnonamexx]

Thanks for the advice. I tested water and no Nitrates or Ammonia. I did a 10% water change and fish are doing well I fed as you suggested and they are eating and doing fine.